Transcript of Sheriff's news conference on Chelsea King search

San Diego  The following is a transcript of Tuesday afternoon’s news conference with San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore in which he said there is a strong likelihood that a body found near Lake Hodges is that of missing Poway teenager Chelsea King.

Gore: “It’s with great sadness this afternoon that we discovered shortly after 1 o’clock human remains near the water’s edge in a shallow grave within the area in which our search efforts had been concentrated.”

“Although positive identification has not been made, there is a strong likelihood that we have found Chelsea. I have just left the home of Brent and Kelly King where I shared this information. Obviously they are devastated and I ask that you respect their privacy during this extremely difficult time. I’d be willing to answer a few questions but I’m somewhat restricted in what I can say now.”

Question: Where was the body found?

Gore: “The body was found in an area, shortly, or, not far from where we had previously discovered a piece of evidence, a shoe. It was about 15 -- 10 to 15 feet away from a tributary that leads down to the lake and it was covered in a shallow grave.”

Q: Had you searched the area before?

G: “It’s an area that we had been searching extensively and unfortunately just not found it due to the fact that she was in a shallow grave.”

Q: Describe the body.

G: “I don’t want to talk about that.”

Q: Who found the body?

G: “It was law enforcement personnel. The dive teams that were working their way from the lake up that tributary and actually spotted her from the water. She was on the shoreline there, about 10 feet from the water line.”

Q: Where was the body relative to Lake Hodges?

G: “It is south of the lake in a little tributary.”

Q: Any idea how long the body had been there?

G: “No. We will be doing a thorough crime scene investigation that will take quite some time and a lot of these issues will be developed in that investigation. The Medical Examiner’s Office has been called and will also respond.”

Q: How far was the body from where Chelsea’s car was found in the parking lot at the Rancho Bernardo Community Park?

G: “I don’t have the exact distance. (turns to someone else) Do you have a number? Half a mile? Half a mile. Approximately half a mile from the parking lot.”

Q: What time was the body found?

G: “Shortly after 1 o’clock this afternoon.”

Q: A question was asked about the suspect.

G: “I’m not going to comment on that.”

Q: How was the discovery made?

G: “It was made by one of the searchers, looking from the water up on the shoreline, spotted something that looked suspicious and investigated and found by moving some small debris, found Chelsea’s body. What we believe to be Chelsea’s body.”

Q: What charges will the suspect face?

G: “I’ll leave that to the district attorney.”

Q: When is the arraignment?

G: “The arraignment is still scheduled for tomorrow as best I know.”

Q: Question about suspect.

G: “All the charges and all the investigation facts will be presented to the District Attorney who will make those final charging determinations.”

Q: Question indecipherable.

G: “I’ll leave that to the district attorney.”

Q: When do you expect a positive identification?

G: “I would say probably sometime late today or tomorrow.”

Q: What did he do to the body?

G: “I’m not going to comment.”

Q: A question about the assault.

G: “She was last seen when she left school on Thursday, which was about two o’clock.”

Q: Question about the body.

G: “I’m not going to discuss that.”

Q: How deep was the grave?

G: “I’m just going to describe it as a shallow grave. She was covered with debris.”

Q: Did he need a tool?

G: “I’m not going to comment on that.”

Q: How are the parents handling the news?

G: “Obviously they’re devastated. They were holding out hope, as we all were, that we would find Chelsea alive and this was our worst fears that we would find her as we did today.”

Q: Indecipherable question.

G: “I don’t know.”

Q: Do you know what happened since Chelsea went missing?

G: “As far as I know Chelsea was last seen when she left school approximately 2 o’clock on Thursday. After that, we don’t have an accurate timeline. We know that her father discovered the car in the parking lot about 5:45.”

Q: What information, if any, did the suspect provide to help find the body?

G: “I’m not going to discuss anything concerning the interview with the suspect.”

Q: Did you all come here after the father notified you?

G: “Yes. We started our search on Thursday night.”

Q: What about the rumor that a knife had been found near the body?

G: “I’m not going to comment on any evidence that’s been found.”

Q: Why is the suspect being held in a medical area of the jail?

G: “He’s being held in solitary confinement so he can be observed and make sure he doesn’t harm himself or nobody else harms him.”

Q: Was it so he wouldn’t watch the investigation on TV?

G: “He wouldn’t be allowed to watch the proceedings on TV.”

Q: Was that area previously searched?

G: “This is the area we had been searching over the last five days but unfortunately we missed it because it was in a shallow grave.”

Q: When did you first search that area?

G: “I would say probably Saturday. Pardon me, excuse me, Friday afternoon. Pardon me. We’d been concentrating on this area back and forth. It’s a heavily wooded area and not observable from the homes up on the hillside or if you’re standing in the park. So it gives some amount of cover to whoever did this.”

Q: Asked about searches of suspect’s homes.

G: “We searched that area due to the arrest of Gardner and that location. That was unproductive, that search.”

Q: Did sonar help find the body?

G: “No.”

Q: Indecipherable question.

G: “I’m not going to comment. We don’t have any indication that, what, our crime scene investigation will develop a lot of these answers to these questions. I’m not going to take any more questions. Thank you very much. I appreciate your trust and your cooperation in honoring the wishes and the privacy of Mr. and Mrs. King who are obviously going through a very difficult time right now. So thank you very much.”